Means for opening cartons and the like.



0. O. SGHULZ.

MEANS FOR OPENING GARTONS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.14, 1911..

LQSQQSQ, Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0. C. SGHULZ. MEANS FOR OPENING GARTONS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.14, 1911.

1,0033%, Patelited 'Dec. 9, 1913.

2 SHEET SSHEET 2.

o'r'ro c. scHULz, or cnrcaeo, ILLINOIES, ASSIGNOR TO BAUER & BLACK,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

OF CHICAGO,

MEANS FOROPENING GAR'I'ONS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 14, 1911. Serial No. 665,594.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that l, O'r'ro G. Sonunz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certam new and use ful Improvements in Means for Opening lartons and the like, of which the follow-,.

may be broken when it becomes desirable to unseal and open the same.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is adapted to be inserted in a carton, or the like, before the sameis sealed and which has a projecting portion adapted to protrude outside the carton or container, after the same has been sealed, in position to be grasped and pulled and, also having cutting edges adapted, upon withdrawal of the device from the carton or container by pulling upon it, to break the seal thereby permitting access to the contents of the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the same is better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating those practical embodiments of the invention which at the present time appear to be preferable.

Referrin a perspective view of a sealed carton or package showing the opening device in position therein; Fig. 2 is a simllar view showing the seal partially broken; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing how the packa e is opened by withdrawing the device; Flg. 4 is a perspective view of one form of the opening device; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through a sealed carton equipped with my invention and showing in dotted lines the position of the opening device after the seal has been broken and just prior to the lifting of the cover; Fig. 6 is a similar view of the carton equipped with another form of my invention; Fig. 7 isra perspective view of the opening device shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of a carton embodying still another form of my invention.

to the drawings :F igure 1 is' Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 11 designates generally a carton or package adapted to contain antiseptic gauze, bandages, or other preferred material, which it is customary to market in sealed packages. These packages are customarily made of pasteboard or other stiff material but, in so far as the present invention is concerned, the character and structure of the carton is immaterial and my invention is applicable to packages, envelops or containers of various kinds, the carton disclosed on the drawings being shown merely for purposes of illustration. The opening device shown in Fig. 4 consists of a blank 12 preferably made of pasteboard or other relatively stifl material which is provided at one edge with a centrally disposed tab 13. The edges 14 of the device on each side of the tab are referably inclined in opposite direct-ions om the ends of the device to provide cutting edges'for breaking'the seal of the carton or other container when the device is withdrawn therefrom. The carton as shown, which is of usual construction, is provided with a top 15 having a downwardly bent flap 16 at its free edge which, when the carton is closed, projects downwardly inside the front wall thereof, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The opening device is provided at its lower edge with an upturned portion or flange 17 adapted to engage with the inwardly projecting flap 16 to lift the other suitable material 18 which may be pasted over the entire top of the carton, if desired, and having one edge projecting down over the front wall of the package. The tab 13 projects outside the sealed package in position to be grasped and pulled when desired. In order to open the package an upward pull is exerted upon the tab 13 which breaks the central portion of the seal 18 on each side of the tab. Upon withdrawal of the device the cutting edges 14 break or out the seal in opposite directions from the center toward the ends as shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen the seal has been completely Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

broken the device has assumed the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. with the up turned portion 17 in engagement with the flap 16 of the cover. Upon further upward movement of the device the cover is raised as shown in Fig. 3, the device being then completely unsealed and opened.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the opening device 10 is provided with punched out portions 19 which are adapted to engage the inwardly projecting flap 16 of the cover and open the same, the action of these portions 19 being similar to the action of the upturned portion 17 of the device previously described.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 8 the top 20 of'the package or carton 21 is elongated to provide the projecting a tab 22 and the intermediate portion23 which is folded inside the inner'wall of the carton. The folded portion permits the device to be Withdrawn from the carton sufliciently to break the seal before an upward pull is exerted upon the cover. It will be evident that the seal is first broken in a manner similar to that previously described in connection with the other forms of the invention and that the free edge of the cover is then raised as the upward pull on the tab is continued.

From the foregoing it will be manifest that I have provided a device which can be present time appear to be preferable, it will be obvious that various changes in the size, shape and proportions of the device may be resorted to within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a carton, the combination of a sealing sheet,,and a device for opening said carton comprising a relatively stiff element positioned within the carton with a portion projecting outside thereof and having edges adapted to sever said sealing sheet upon withdra'wal'of the device, said element being formed to lift the lid of the carton after the seal has been broken.

2. In a carton, the combination of a body portion, a cover therefor, a sheet of readily severable material disposed over adjoining edges of said cover and body to seal the carton, and a device for openi said carton, said device comprising a relatively stifi' element positioned within the carton and having a portion projecting outside thereof and provided with edges adapted to break the seal of the carton upon withdrawal of the device, said element and cover of the carton being formed of a single sheet of suitable material.

3. In a carton, the combination of a body portion, a cover therefor, a sheet of severable material disposed over adjoining edges of said body and coverto seal the carton, and a device for opening said carton, said device comprising a relatively stiff element positioned within the carton and having a portion projecting outside the carton, said element and cover being formed of a single sheet folded upon itself a plurality of times.

OTTO C. SCHULZ.

Witnesses:

WM. 0. BELT, M. A. Kmnm- 

